APPENDIX I: Note on population distribution
APPENDIX I: Note on population distribution :-By: Fireangel TOG divides its population into three classes: Citizen, Plebeian and Slave,Legionnaire pp. 150 though specific percentages are lacking in all except the Plebeian class (“45% of the whole”) and Male Citizens (“approximately a third’). Keep in mind that the Patria Potestas (6691) “stripped citizenship from all women”, and it is made clear that the “one third” estimate represents male citizens only. This causes a problem. If the plebeian class is 45% “of the whole” and male citizens comprise another 30%, where do the women born of citizens fit in? Assuming that there is a roughly 1:1 ratio of male citizens to citizen-born women, we would end up with a 105% population before even factoring in the slave class! Two possibilities arise; first, we could assume that the 45% plebeian percentage is also counting just the males. This falls flat in the face of the context and the actual writing in both entries and flies in the face of the remarkable nature of 30% all-male citizen number. The second possibility is more likely; the “citizen-born” women are counted in the 45% number of the plebeian class. Yes, it does sound strange; bear with me. We know that in 6691, Caesar Buntari issued the Patria Potestas, which “stripped all rights from women and gave them the status of chattel.”Ibid pp. 147This statement is not supported by canon and seems to be somewhat hyperbolic; though having fewer rights than Citizens, non-slave women certainly had more rights than slaves. See APPENDIX I: Note on population distribution for analysis. We also know that later that year he was assassinated (by his own female bodyguards) and we also know that the Patria Potestas was NOT revoked or rescinded and in fact is still in place around 6840, 150 years later! It is entirely possible that after his death, the bill was somewhat amended to be more palatable. If we look at the real world historical precedent of Patria Potestas in Roman Law, we see that women did have certain rights, but had to be “under the control/tutelage of a man” at all times, even if she was emancipated. We know that Buntari was a pig, so the law catered to his personal whim, but after his death it could have been reworked or reinterpreted to be more in line with ancient Roman Law, becoming much more palatable to the women of the Empire and allowing for the relatively peaceful civil order TOG seems to enjoy across BILLIONS of worlds. The rights accorded to women under Roman Law are surprisingly similar to those of the plebeian class males and no different from plebeian class women. Thus, besides the issue of their birth to a citizen male, there is no legal difference between citizen-born women and plebeian-born women (slave-born women have fewer rights still based on their status as slaves. I’ll discuss this below). If we take this as true, fully two-thirds of the plebeian class is comprised of citizen-born females; of the remaining third, half are male and half are female. Beneath these we have the slaves. Surprisingly, there is greater equality between male slaves and female slaves, though the Patria Potestas does raise its ugly head even here. Remember that slaves are owned by the State (ruled by males) or by citizens (all of whom are male) AND slaves are severely restricted on their property rights; this means that Patria Potestas applies only at the whim of the slave’s owner, not the slave-class father. Note that this means that to a female slave, her slave status effectively takes priority over her female status. Approximately 25% of the population as a whole is comprised of slaves with a 50/50 male-to-female ratio. So let’s look at percentages: :Male Citizens: 30% :Females born to Citizens: 30% :Male Plebeians: 7.5% :Female Plebeians: 7.5% :Male Slaves: 12.5% :Female Slaves: 12.5% So let’s look at how many of these 30% male citizens can vote. At age 16 all male citizens MUST join the military and serve a minimum of three years. This means that the earliest they can vote is at age 19. Looking at multiple population distribution by age pyramid charts and assuming a relatively high birthrate (population growth of around 2.0%) as well as relatively good health care (even for slaves) in early years, combined with a war going on, means that approximately 20% of males are unable to vote. 20% of 30 = 6% total population, meaning that approximately 24% of the total population (or 80% of Citizens) has the right to vote… and has served in the military. Note that historically, Roman Legionnaires were unable to vote. There is no reason to believe that this is not the case in the TOG Empire. Given that “a majority” of citizens serving their obligatory military service remain in the service after their three years are up (Legionnaire, pp. 151), this would mean that a smaller percentage of citizens actually vote. Notes & References Category:A to Z Index Category:Fireangel Articles Category:Original Articles